Review: When We Were Infinite

Title: When We Were Infinite

Author: Kelly Loy Gilbert

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication date: March 9, 2021

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Summary

As they near the end of high school, all Beth wants is for her group of friends to stay together. With not much of a family life, she relies on her friends as a source of comfort. Especially since her own future is uncertain. She’s also not ready to admit her feelings for Jason when it means it could change everything about their friendship. And everything about their future.

After witnessing an act of violence at Jason’s home, Beth and her friends aren’t sure how to react. As Jason starts to change because of it, they decide to agree to protect him no matter the cost. But their desire to protect him might not be enough–and Beth has to decide how far she’s willing to go to save him.

Review: When We Were Infinite

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! While I hadn’t read any of Gilbert’s books previously, this one hits on subjects that I often read a lot about. There are a lot of heavy topics dealt with in this book, and Gilbert tackles them head-on, making them feel real.

First, the cons. There was something about the voice that felt off to me, which I couldn’t quite pinpoint. There were periods of time that went by really quickly, and there were also sections where it seemed like Beth was telling this story from a time in the future. I think there were just sections that didn’t seem to transition well, which threw off the voice for me.

However, what is done well is Beth’s feelings and anxiety. She has panic attacks throughout the book and they feel realistic. There are some great discussions about mental health to be had throughout the book. What I also appreciated was Beth’s deep-seated fear about things changing because it’s definitely something we can all relate to. Keeping close with her friends from high school is her way of keeping some sort of comfort when everything else is changing.

There are also a lot of great conversations about Asian culture in this book. Beth is distanced from it, while Jason is not. Beth feels like she’s missing out on something because of this and it really leads to some great discussion.

All in all, this is a really in-depth novel that will give you a lot to think about. Not the most light-hearted, but important all the same.

4/5 stars

Read-a-likes

As a part of my blog tour post, I’m posting some read-a-likes if you’re looking for something with a similar feel to this book!

If you’re looking for books that deal with suicide/depression, check out:

• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• More Than This by Patrick Ness
• The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

If you’re looking for books with a strong core group of friends, check out:

• The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
• Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
• The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

If you’re looking for books featuring musicians, check out:

• Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman
• Someday, Somewhere by Lindsay Champion

Finally, maybe you just want to read more books with Asian main characters:

• Frankly in Love by David Yoon
• Emergency Contact by Marky H.K. Choi
• Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Or, if you like any of the books listed here, you’ll probably enjoy When We Were Infinite, too!